San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-02-26
Some Thoughts OF Practical Nature
Editor LIGHT:

Some Thoughts OF Practical Nature.
Editor LIGHT:
We talk glibly OF society" but 1t
would puzzle us, perhaps, to give an in
telllgible definition OF society. Ii is q
word Of compound meaning and the rep
resentatiVe Of various complex ideas
floating about In many minds Of differ
ent grades, in 4 condition of luidity.
When the word society" is cast in the
mold and thereby loses Its fluidity many
persons will impugn the accuracy Of the
mold and pronounce the product q carl
cature on the original, intended to be
represented by the cost.
Society is not at all SYNONYMOUS with
public opinion. Nor does IL often work
in harmony and cooperation with pub
lie opinion. 1t is most regreta5le cir
oumstance, that public opinion and
society do move to the same music and
keep the same step, but we must accept
a fact, however unweleome Ii may be.
Society, in common parlance, is the
usage and practice In vogue among the
most refined and wealthy class, in a
particular town or city, and may be
designated as the conventionalism OF q
town or city. Society is strictly a con-
ventional term, and of course, its mean
ing is unsettled and fiuctuating. 1t is
the blind and unreasoning slave Of fash
ion, and bows to all its caprIces and
whims with implicit devotion, even
though they should chance to antago-
nize the moral code aud to violate the
fixed rules OF good taste.
Society is made up of several strata
layer upon layer; but, the lower strata
take the color and character from the
highest stratum-what Is called the
upper class" and tries to follow In its
footsteps and catch its gait and tone. In
this way vice is populaIized and
immortality. Ia naturalized. The conta.
giOn spreads from the highest class
down through all grades of society until
the foundations OF the social edifice are
completely undermined.
The class that claims to possess the
largest measure of education, intellectu-
al culture, refinement OF taste, polish OF
manners, and wealth should also possess
the largest amount OF morality. But
such is lamentsbly not the case.
The recent divorce trials in England,
laid bare the vice and immortality preva-
lent among the highest class of the no
bility and the details were too nasty to
admit of their publication. This state OF
things is not exceptlOnal-is not con-
fined to the English nobility.
What is the value Of education and
mental culture. II they do not tend to
withdraw the recipients of them from
gross vice and immortality? This Is quite
pertinent question in view OF the gush
that Is daily INDUCED 10 as to the i'm
pOrtance Of education.
The trouble is, that we over-estimate
the intrinsic importance and value OF
mental development and culture. Ii lie
an excellent thing when 1t Is grounded
upon the fundamental principles OF
morality. The training OF the head and
heart should be prosecuted together
moral training is unYuestionably the
most essential, yet the tendency Is to
neglect and ignore 1t, as though il was
not only useless, but mischievous. The
extent to which parental authority has
been relaxed is frightful TO contemplate.
Infancy and childhood embrace the pc
riod when the seeds of morality must be
sown in the mind and they must be
sown by the parent In the family circle.
The school teacher cannot act as the
substitute OF the parent In this ma ter OF
moral training. Nature devolved on
parents this branch of education and
they alone can properly attend to 1t.
TONRY